Starbeck residents celebrate as 91 Kingsley Road homes plan refused

Dan Windham

Plans for 91 homes to be built on Kingsley Road in Starbeck have been refused by Harrogate Borough Council’s Planning Committee

The developer, Barratt Homes, had applied for 91 homes to be built on three fields near Kingsley Road as well as improvements to Star Beck and a footway to Bogs Lane.

However, the application sparked furious opposition from local residents with hundreds of objections to the development launched on the council’s planning portal.

At a Planning Committee meeting, members voted to refuse the application by 11 votes to one as it would ‘unduly harm’ the character of the locality as it falls within the Starbeck Spa Conservation Area.

Coun Janet Law (Lib Dem, Starbeck) said she was delighted with the outcome of the application as the area would not be able to handle more traffic caused by additional homes.

She said: “It is not the right place at all for a development like this.

“It gets incredibly boggy and wet in this area when it’s raining meaning there is a risk of flooding.

“The entrance to the site will be on Bogs Lane and we know the road can’t take the traffic that these houses will bring. There have already been a number of houses recently approved for this area.

“It is hard to get these applications refused because we need houses and there were affordable ones in there. It’s just not right place at all for them.

“At least we have got some sort of breathing space for now. The residents and myself are going to have some meetings and see if we can come with some new plans to fight it off."

Residents spoke at the meeting to raise concerns about the amount of homes already planned for the area after planning permission for 74 houses off Bogs Lane was granted in July 2013.

Barratt Homes said they would now be considering their options for the site.

Peter Morris, Development Director at Barratt Homes Yorkshire East, commented: “We are disappointed following the refusal of the Kingsley Road application, and are considering our position in light of this decision.

“We will be re-examining our plans for the area, and will update the local community with our next steps in due course.”